Protest disrupts tipsy toffs tenor night in Botanic gardens
antrim |
miscellaneous |
opinion/analysis 
Friday July 01, 2005 23:00
by City of Exclusion
As hoity toity sophisticated professionals, and 'cultured' yuppies sat down to sip their champers and 'enjoy' a night at the opera in Botanic gardens, to whinny along to 'la bohema'.
They're enjoyment was somewhat curtailed by 200 protestors picketing the presence of a Royal Marine band at the lavish Belfast City council's opera in Botanic Gardens.
Victims of state violence were joined by members of the anti-collusion group An Fhirinne, Relatives for Justice and campaigners against Plastic Bullets.
Protestor Pearse Mc Shane, whose unarmed 16 year old brother was shot dead by Royal Marines in Co.Tyrone in 1971 said 'People should not forget that these soldiers were part of the same regiment that murdered my brother.' 'The soldiers responsible for that action have never been made accountable and could even have been organising the band'.
An Fhirinne spokeperson Robert McClenaghan said 'The main purpose of the protest was to highligh the insensitivity and failure of Belfast city council in not taking into account the feelings and experience of victims of state violence'.
Mark Thompson of Relatives for Justice said ' This is our city too. We are ratepayers and Belfast city council, which has plaques and windows dedicated to British state agencies, has displayed scant regard for victims of state violence at this event'.
Given that this years Belfast marathon initial route was arranged to exclude republican west belfast and the Falls road, because of concerns for the safety of Hugh Orde who was running in it, the iron grip of establishment secrocrats over civic events is proving difficult to loosen.
Comments (2 of 2)
Jump To Comment: 1 2You speak with a corpse in your mouth. You should remember the families of the 11 Royal Marine bandsmen murdred by an IRA bomb in Deal, Kent in 1989.
Why no mention of that?
IRA Propaganda Hides the Truth of Murder
Glossary: what is Whataboutery?
Familiar to anyone who's followed public debate on Northern Ireland. Some define it as the often multiple blaming and finger pointing that goes on between communities in conflict. Political differences are marked by powerful emotional (often tribal) reactions as opposed to creative conflict over policy and issues. It's beginning to be known well beyond the bounds of Northern Ireland.
Some years back the BBC quoted Cardinal Cahal Daly as having described Whataboutery as "the commonest form of moral evasion in Ireland today", referring to how both communities use the terrible burden of past events to lay obstacles in the way of peace.
Evasion may not be the intention but it is the obvious effect. It occurs when individuals are confronted with a difficult or uncomfortable question. The respondent retrenches his/her position and rejigs the question, being careful to pick open a sore point on the part of questioner's 'tribe'. He/she then fires the original query back at the inquirer.
Historical subjects can be the worst. Rational perspective disappears and opponents are forced to assume moral responsibility for their community's past sins. The substance of the issue is foregone for an emotional power play that comprises the solipsistic concerns of the participants, with little regard for fact or quality of argument.
Mick Fealty @ 09 February 2005 03:05 PM
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